Making a Complaint

Talk to us about your health and social care experience

The right to complain about unsatisfactory service is a key consumer right. The NHS constitution makes a pledge to encourage and welcome feedback on health and care experiences and to use this feedback to improve services.

We know that it is not always easy to find the information you need to make a complaint so below is our guide to making health and social care complaints in Gloucestershire, which you can find below.

If you need any further information please do not hesitate to contact us

Guidance and practical resources

Advice on making a complaint

Healthwatch England has worked with Citizen’s Advice to produce a series of guides to help you make a complaint or raise a concern about health and social care services. You can find out more about what’s involved in making a complaint and see what your next steps might be.

There are tips, tools and practical resources to support you to make an effective complaint.

Making a complaint

Independent Health and Social Care Advocacy

If you need support and guidance through the process of making a complaint about your NHS health care, you can contactPOhWER.

POhWER deliver a combination of statutory advocacy roles for people who live in Gloucestershire:

Independent Care Act Advocacy (ICAA)

Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA)

Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA)

Independent Health Complaints Advocacy (IHCA)

Relevant Person’s Representative (RPR)

POhWER can support and guide you through the process of making a formal complaint. An advocate patiently listens to you, helps you to understand and explains your options and choices. The POhWER advocate ensures you have the support you need to make an informed choice and get the help and support you need to complain about NHS health or social care services. The service is free, independent and confidential.

Drug, Alcohol and Substance Misuse Advocacy

Caring for Communities and People (CCP)exists to improve the lives of children, young people, families and vulnerable adults who have multiple and complex needs. Their priority is to those who have been excluded or have excluded themselves from mainstream services.

CCP work in partnership with the person and other agencies to empower clients with substance misuse to change their lives for the better and to become determined and independent individuals. The overall aim of Advocacy is to equip service users with the tools to own the process, from knowledge of their own rights, making their own decisions, to representing themselves. The service is free, independent and confidential.

Where to direct your complaint

Local contact information

Below are the key contacts should you wish to raise a concern or make a formal complaint about a service you have recieved from one of the local NHS Trusts, the Clinical Commissioning Group or Gloucestershire Council.

In order to resolve your complaint effectively you should try to discuss your issue with the relevant local healthcare professional or social care manager before making your complaint official.

Help

My complaint still hasn't been resolved

If after going through the complaints process you are still unhappy with the response you have received, the final route you can take depends upon what service your complaint is about. The Ombudsman services are free, fair and independent.

Health complaints

For complaints that have not been resolved by the NHS in England and UK government departments and other public organisations.

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